Senior House Democrats say Biden should step aside during private call
by Mychael Schnell - 07/07/24 5:52 PM ET
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At least four senior House Democrats said President Biden should step aside from the 2024 presidential election during a private phone call Sunday afternoon, sources told The Hill, a concerning sign for the president as he insists on staying in the race after his disastrous debate performance last month.
Reps. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), Mark Takano (D-Calif.) and Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.) all voiced support for having a change at the top of the Democratic presidential ticket, three sources familiar with the matter told The Hill. Two of those sources said Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) was also part of that chorus of voices.
“They were part of the general sentiment that we need to do something else,” one of the sources told The Hill.
The quartet of Democrats — who all serve as ranking members of key House committees — made their positions known during a private phone call with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), top leaders in the House Democratic Caucus and top Democrats on committees.
Nadler is the ranking member on the Judiciary Committee, Morelle on the Administration Committee, Takano on the Veterans’ Affairs Committee and Smith on the Armed Services Committee.
The Hill reached out to the Biden campaign for comment.
The four senior Democrats privately voicing support for Biden stepping aside are joining the five Democratic lawmakers who have publicly called on the president to withdraw from the 2024 race in the days following last month’s lackluster debate performance, where he at times stumbled over his words and appeared to lose his train of thought.
That list includes Reps. Lloyd Doggett (Texas), Mike Quigley (Ill.), Raúl Grijalva (Ariz.), Seth Moulton (Mass.) and Angie Craig (Minn.).
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https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4758958-biden-democratic-leaders-step-aside/
